Best and worst surprises

Centered

Hall of Fame
What string really surprised you by being really good and vice-versa?

Best: Babolat VS 17
Worst: some type of 16 gauge kevlar

Please limit this to one best and one worst. (Superlatives.)
 

ClubHoUno

Banned
Best: Babolat VS 17 (always thought I would break VS 17 just by looking at it, so stuck with VS 16, to my surprise it's pretty durable for my strokes and game)

Worst: Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour 1.25 full job. Just not for me.......... Too stiff even at low tension. Lost tension too fast, even for a poly. Lack of feel and lack of joy.
 

JoelDali

Talk Tennis Guru
Best: Red17 Wilson Prototype - what an awesome string in an 88.

Worst: G Black Magic and Lux Adrenaline - dead, no feel, both are garbage strings.
 

Preston

Rookie
Best: Pro Supex Syngut with Sprial Flex: $45 for a reel! This string has excellent feel and control along with decent durability relative to other synguts.

Worst: Proline 2
 

Centered

Hall of Fame
Best: Babolat VS 17 (always thought I would break VS 17 just by looking at it, so stuck with VS 16, to my surprise it's pretty durable for my strokes and game)
I've found one thing that really helps is using light balls. A university club I used to go to used Wilson Titanium balls and they would ruin a new VS 17 job very quickly. But, I use lighter balls like Penn ATP regular duty and that seems to definitely help with longevity.
 

Lambsscroll

Hall of Fame
Best: Tecnifibre X-One Biphase 17 or 16 String
Worst: Head RIP Control 16 String. Just thinking about this string sucks!
 

Fedfan1995

New User
best: head sonic pro-nothing compares! ive tried so many others!
worst: signum pro poly plasma-super stiff, no spin, no feel, and expecially no power whatsoever( even for a poly)!
 

Pwned

Hall of Fame
Best: SpinX
Worst: SPPP - broke on stringer once and once after 3rd ball. Never had any other strings break including 8 sets of gaucho gut.
 

T1000

Legend
Best: Black Magic
I thought the feel was better than most of the multis I've tried.

Worst: Pro Line II
Worst string ever made. An absolute garbage string. No feel, power, spin, anything
 

fgs

Hall of Fame
t1000,
what gauge of the pro line II did you play? at what tension?
i played the 1.25 at 23kg and had quite a lot of power in my 106 blades. of course we could "argue" about feel and spin and even control (of which in my set-up there was some missing), but since i had to spin it much more to keep it in i'd say the string does have some power. it's ok if you don't like it, i also found better ones.
 

T1000

Legend
I used 16g, 17g, and 18g all at various tensions, between 45-60 lbs. I got them in a sponsorship deal and hated it every time. It played dead from the start.
 
Multi's:
Worst X-1 Bi Phase
Best NRG2

Poly
Worst Topspin Cyberblue I decided to cut it out after 5 shots
Best Lux Alu Power 16L I can't believe that hitting a tennis ball can be that better with this string, but it is!
 
T

TennisandMusic

Guest
Best: Black Magic
I thought the feel was better than most of the multis I've tried.

Worst: Pro Line II
Worst string ever made. An absolute garbage string. No feel, power, spin, anything

You have nearly the exact opposite list as me haha. Kinda funny. Though I don't think I'd list either of them as "best" or "worst" I certainly have 180 degree opinions from this. :p
 

David123

Hall of Fame
yeah theres actaully a big difference i was playing way better with Redcode mains and NRG2 crosses than x-1 crosses. Balls were flying into the net or out with x-1 i liked NRG2 better. I am so happy that i liked NRG2 better. The reel is way cheaper :p
 

T1000

Legend
You have nearly the exact opposite list as me haha. Kinda funny. Though I don't think I'd list either of them as "best" or "worst" I certainly have 180 degree opinions from this. :p

Haha I think I'm the only person on the boards who hates Pro Line II, I've only heard positive things about it and all my friends who play tennis love it.
 

fgs

Hall of Fame
t1000,
there's a long way inbetween love and hate. i don't hate it, but i don't love it either. nevertheless i find it a pretty reasonable string in it's pricerange. it doesn't take much more to find better though - for instance helix from the kirschbaum line.
 
Interesting. I didn't expect that there would be such a difference between them.

I didn't either which is why I bought both. I have one more set of Bi Phase that's been sitting around for a year. I was thinking of trying them again but
I don't want to waste them. I found almost no control and way too powerful. Balls were flying!
 

autumn_leaf

Hall of Fame
I didn't either which is why I bought both. I have one more set of Bi Phase that's been sitting around for a year. I was thinking of trying them again but
I don't want to waste them. I found almost no control and way too powerful. Balls were flying!

well strings do keep their price fairly well. just sell or trade them.
 

Ripper014

Hall of Fame
Based on the reviews from the board...

Best: Maxim Touch 17 and Pro Supex Big Bang Micro 18L
- Great blend either alone or hybrid in either combination

Worse: Gosen OG-Sheep Micro 17 and Gosen Polylon Ice 17
- Though priced right these strings are overrated IMHO
 
Best: Gosen 17 OG sheep micro
Worst: Wilson Stamina

Gosen is brilliant if strung in a hybrid.

I play with Gamma ZO magic at 62 in the mains and Gosen 17 at 62 in the crosses. I havent played with gosen full bed but i imagine that it is very mushy.
 

Shaolin

G.O.A.T.
Best:

Topspin cyberflash: Cheap and has lots of positives. Great spin, durable, holds tension, doesnt move.

HEAD ultratrour has also never let me down.

Worst:

Babolat 5 Star: There are no words to express how bad this string sucked. I dont think its made anymore, thank god.

MSV Focus Hex: No idea how/why this stuff is so hyped.

SPPP: Excellent, awesome string, for the 15 minutes it lasts. It actually broke it once in 3 hits.

Prince DNA helix: Breaks easily, even by syn gut standards. I think it would break just by looking at it and imagining hitting the ball hard.
 

Ambivalent

Hall of Fame
Best: Gosen 17 OG sheep micro
Worst: Wilson Stamina

Gosen is brilliant if strung in a hybrid.

I play with Gamma ZO magic at 62 in the mains and Gosen 17 at 62 in the crosses. I havent played with gosen full bed but i imagine that it is very mushy.

Wrong. Full Gosen bed is pretty crispy. I tried it in my kblade tour and thats how it felt, at least.
 

Ripper014

Hall of Fame
are you serious? this is based on the boards? cuz the baorders say gosen OGSM is amazing.

Based on what I read on the board I bought a reel of both... personally I did not care for it, I found it rather average at best. Though I do have one person I string for that does not mind it, but he is using a large head frame and I don't think it matters nearly as much as long as the tension is right.

The Maxim Touch 17 and Pro Supex Big Ace Micro 18L I find are very nice player strings. I am an all-round player and need good touch with solid feel and I find this hybrid has provided me that, I am not worried about power or spin because I can generate that, for me it is all about playability... and this combo has it in spades.

I am very happy using these two strings in a hybrid blend but I am alway testing something new if I think it may play a little better.
 
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Autodidactic player

Professional
Best shaped Poly: Black Code 18g
Best smooth Poly: Pro Line II 18g

Worst Poly: ALU Power Rough 16g (This stuff plays terrible in my Wilson Six.One BLX team but played OK in my old Prince Precision Response); close runner up MSV Hex 17g

Best non-Poly: Gamma Pro 18g (close runner up Weiss Cannon Exploviv! 16g - if only it was available in a thinner gauge).

Best value non-poly: Prince Topspin Duraflex 15L (Wish it came thinner)

Worst non-poly: Head FXP Power (tried 16g and 17g did not like either)
 

SlapShot

Hall of Fame
Best surprise - POSG Gold 17. Plays really well for the pricetag - not the best by any means, but better than $3.

Worst surprise - Gamma Revelation. Yuck. Terrible string - cut it out after one hitting session.
 
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